Method, apparatus and computer program product for visually grouping relationships from databases

Technological field

Example embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the presentation of information on a display, and more particularly, to a method and computer program product for providing a visual representation of relationships between groups of information from databases.

Background

The ubiquity of information networks, such as the Internet, has enabled access to large volumes of information and the ever-decreasing cost of digital information storage has perpetuated the substantially permanent archiving of existing information, resulting in ever growing databases of information and data. The size and number of databases of information continue to grow at exponential rates as more information is continually added and new databases are generated.

Advancements in mobile device technology have developed mobile devices, such as cellular telephones and portable digital assistants (PDAs), that have increased capabilities and provide a user with greater access and control of information. Users of such devices may be able to access networks that provide access to the massive amounts of data and information that are stored in network accessible databases. Accessing and sorting through the available data may be cumbersome, particularly on smaller, more portable devices. The portability of such devices may be enhanced by reducing their size, and hence, their display size, which may inhibit or hinder a user's ability to efficiently sort through large amounts of data in search of a particular item of interest.

Summary

In general, an example embodiment of the present invention provides a method for providing a visual indication of relationships between information entities from databases. In particular, the method of example embodiments may include identifying a plurality of entities with a primary relationship with a root entity, identifying a plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, providing for display of the root entity, a first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and a first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity. Methods may further include providing for display of an indication that the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity has a primary relationship with the root entity and providing for display of an indication that the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity has a secondary relationship with the root entity. Methods may also include providing for display of an indication of a relationship between at least one entity of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity and at least one entity of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity. The indication of a relationship between the at least one entity of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity and the at least one entity of the first subset of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity includes a connector.

According to example embodiments, the provision of a display of an indication of a relationship between at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, includes: providing for display of an icon proximate a first entity of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity. The icon of this embodiment includes a representation of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity. The icon of this embodiment also distinguishes the location of entities, within the representation of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, that are related to the first entity.

Methods according to example embodiments may further include providing for display of the root entity, a second subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity. In this embodiment, the second subset, of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, is displayed in response to a user input. The method of this embodiment also provides for display of an indication of a relationship between at least one entity, of the second subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity.

Methods of example embodiments may include replacing the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, with a second subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, in response to a user input. The method of this embodiment may also replace the indication of a relationship between at least one entity of the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity of the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, with an indication of a relationship between at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity, of the second subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity.

According to methods of example embodiments, providing for display of an indication that the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, has a primary relationship with the root entity includes providing for display of the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity in a first area of the display. In this embodiment, providing for display of an indication that the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, has a secondary relationship with the root entity includes providing for display of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity in a second area of the display. The first area of the display may be positioned between the second area of the display and the root entity.

Example embodiments of the invention may provide an apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to identify a plurality of entities with a primary relationship with a root entity, identify a plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, and provide for display of the root entity, a first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and a first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity. The apparatus may further be caused to provide for display of an indication that the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, has a primary relationship with the root entity, provide for display of an indication that the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, has a secondary relationship with the root entity, and provide for display of an indication of a relationship between at least one entity of the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity. The indication of a relationship between the at least one entity of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and the at least one entity, of the first subset of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, includes a connector.

An apparatus according to example embodiments may further be caused to provide for display of an indication of a relationship between at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, by causing the apparatus to provide for display of an icon proximate a first entity of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity. In this embodiment, the icon includes a representation of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity. The icon of this embodiment also distinguishes the location of entities, within the representation of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, that are related to the first entity.

An apparatus according to example embodiments may further be caused to provide for display of the root entity, a second subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity. The second subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, may be displayed in response to a user input. The apparatus of this embodiment may also be caused to provide for display of an indication of a relationship between at least one entity, of the second subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity.

An apparatus according to example embodiments may further be caused to replace the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, with a second subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, in response to a user input. The apparatus of this embodiment may also be configured to replace the indication of a relationship between at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, with an indication of a relationship between at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity, of the second subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity.

The apparatus of example embodiments may be caused to provide for display of an indication that the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity has a primary relationship with the root entity, by causing the apparatus to provide for display of the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, in a first area of the display. In this embodiment, the apparatus may be caused to provide for display of an indication that the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, has a secondary relationship with the root entity by causing the apparatus to provide for display of the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, in a second area of the display. The first area of the display may be positioned between the second area of the display and the root entity.

Embodiments of the present invention may provide a computer program product including at least one non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having computer executable program code instructions stored therein. The computer executable program code instructions may include program code instructions for identifying a plurality of entities with a primary relationship with a root entity, program code instructions for identifying a plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, program code instructions for providing for display of the root entity, a first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and a first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity. The computer program product may further include program code instructions for providing for display of an indication that the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, has a primary relationship with the root entity, program code instructions for providing for display of an indication that the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, has a secondary relationship with the root entity, and program code instructions for providing for display of an indication of a relationship between at least one entity of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity. The indication of a relationship between the at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and the at least one entity, of the first subset of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, includes a connector.

In some embodiments, the program code instructions for providing for display of an indication of a relationship between at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, includes program code instructions for providing for display of an icon proximate a first entity of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity. The icon of this embodiment includes a representation of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity. In this embodiment, the icon distinguishes the location of entities, within the representation of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, that are related to the first entity.

A computer program product according to example embodiments may further include program code instructions for providing for display of the root entity, a second subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, where the second subset, of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, is displayed in response to a user input. The computer program product of this embodiment also includes program code instructions for providing for display of an indication of a relationship between at least one entity, of the second subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity.

A computer program product according to example embodiments may further include program code instructions for replacing the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, with a second subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, in response to a user input. The computer program product of this embodiment may also include program code instructions for replacing the indication of a relationship between at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, with an indication of a relationship between at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity, of the second subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity.

According to example embodiments, the program code instructions for providing for display of an indication that the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity has a primary relationship with the root entity, may include program code instructions for providing for display of the first subset of the plurality of entities, with a primary relationship with the root entity, in a first area of a display. In this embodiment, the program code instructions for providing for display of an indication that the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, has a secondary relationship with the root entity may also include program code instructions for providing for display of the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, in a second area of a display.

An apparatus according to example embodiments may further include means for identifying a plurality of entities with a primary relationship with a root entity, means for identifying a plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, and means for providing for display of the root entity, a first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and a first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity. The apparatus may further include means for providing for display of an indication that the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, has a primary relationship with the root entity, means for providing for display of an indication that the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, has a secondary relationship with the root entity, and means for providing for display of an indication of a relationship between at least one entity of the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity. The indication of a relationship between the at least one entity of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and the at least one entity, of the first subset of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, may include a connector.

According to example embodiments, the means for providing for display of an indication of a relationship between at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity may include means for providing for display of an icon proximate a first entity of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity. The icon of this embodiment includes a representation of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity. In this embodiment, the icon distinguishes the location of entities, within the representation of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, that are related to the first entity.

An apparatus according to example embodiments may further include means for providing for display of the root entity, a second subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity. In this embodiment, the second subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, is displayed in response to a user input. The apparatus of this embodiment may also include means for providing for display of an indication of a relationship between at least one entity, of the second subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity.

An apparatus according to example embodiments may further include means for replacing the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, with a second subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, in response to a user input. The apparatus of this embodiment also includes means for replacing the indication of a relationship between at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, with an indication of a relationship between at least one entity, of the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, and at least one entity, of the second subset of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity.

Example embodiments of an apparatus may further include means for providing for display of an indication that the first subset of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity has a primary relationship with the root entity, including means for providing for display of the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a primary relationship with the root entity, in a first area of the display. In this embodiment, the means for providing for display of an indication that the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, has a secondary relationship with the root entity includes means for providing for display of the first subset, of the plurality of entities with a secondary relationship with the root entity, in a second area of the display. The first area of the display may be positioned between the second area of the display and the root entity.

Brief description of the several views of the drawings

Having thus described embodiments of the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for providing a visual indication of relationships between information entities from databases according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a device displaying a locality of a database according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a device displaying a locality of a database according to another example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a device displaying a locality of a database and illustrating relationships between information entities within the locality according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a device displaying a locality of a database and illustrating relationships between information entities within the locality according to another example embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an example method for displaying a locality of a database and illustrating relationships between information entities within the locality according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description

Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, various embodiments of the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, the terms "data," "content," "information" and similar terms may be used interchangeably to refer to data capable of being transmitted, received and/or stored in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. Thus, use of any such terms should not be taken to limit the spirit and scope of embodiments of the present invention.

Additionally, as used herein, the term `circuitry` refers to (a) hardware-only circuit implementations (e.g., implementations in analog circuitry and/or digital circuitry); (b) combinations of circuits and computer program product(s) comprising software and/or firmware instructions stored on one or more computer readable memories that work together to cause an apparatus to perform one or more functions described herein; and (c) circuits, such as, for example, a microprocessor(s) or a portion of a microprocessor(s), that require software or firmware for operation even if the software or firmware is not physically present. This definition of `circuitry` applies to all uses of this term herein, including in any claims. As a further example, as used herein, the term `circuitry` also includes an implementation comprising one or more processors and/or portion(s) thereof and accompanying software and/or firmware. As another example, the term `circuitry` as used herein also includes, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or applications processor integrated circuit for a mobile phone or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, other network device, and/or other computing device.

As defined herein a "computer-readable storage medium," which refers to a non-transitory, physical storage medium (e.g., volatile or non-volatile memory device), can be differentiated from a "computer-readable transmission medium," which refers to an electromagnetic signal.

Devices that may benefit from example embodiments of the present invention may include portable devices, such as tablet computers, laptop computers, cellular telephones, PDAs, portable media devices, or the like, which are enhanced by a graphical user interface presented on a display. Embodiments of the present invention may further be implemented on any device which provides for display of information such as the results of a database search. As the volume of information available on many databases can be very large, it may be desirable to have a mechanism to view and sort through information that results from a search. Particularly in databases containing relational information, where information contained within the database comprises relationships with other information within the database, it may be desirable to provide a visual illustration of the relationships between information entities when presenting the information to a user.

Some embodiments of the present invention may relate to a provision of a mechanism by which a user is presented with a plurality of information entities related to a root entity from a database containing relational information where the plurality of information entities are presented in an easily accessible, sortable, and intuitive manner. The root entity may be a search target or an information entity otherwise selected by a user. The display of the plurality of information entities related to the root entity may further include information regarding the relationships between the information entities displayed.

One example embodiment of the invention is depicted in FIG. 1 which illustrates a block diagram of a mobile terminal 10 that would benefit from embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the mobile terminal 10 as illustrated and hereinafter described is merely illustrative of one type of device that may benefit from embodiments of the present invention and, therefore, should not be taken to limit the scope of embodiments of the present invention. As such, although numerous types of mobile terminals, such as portable digital assistants (PDAs), mobile telephones, pagers, mobile televisions, gaming devices, laptop computers, cameras, tablet computers, touch surfaces, wearable devices, video recorders, audio/video players, radios, electronic books, positioning devices (e.g., global positioning system (GPS) devices), or any combination of the aforementioned, and other types of voice and text communications systems, may readily employ embodiments of the present invention, other devices including fixed (non-mobile) electronic devices may also employ some example embodiments.

The mobile terminal 10 may include an antenna 12 (or multiple antennas) in operable communication with a transmitter 14 and a receiver 16. The mobile terminal 10 may further include an apparatus, such as a processor 20 or other processing device (e.g., processor 70 of FIG. 2), which controls the provision of signals to and the receipt of signals from the transmitter 14 and receiver 16, respectively. The signals may include signaling information in accordance with the air interface standard of the applicable cellular system, and also user speech, received data and/or user generated data. In this regard, the mobile terminal 10 is capable of operating with one or more air interface standards, communication protocols, modulation types, and access types. By way of illustration, the mobile terminal 10 is capable of operating in accordance with any of a number of first, second, third and/or fourth-generation communication protocols or the like. For example, the mobile terminal 10 may be capable of operating in accordance with second-generation (2G) wireless communication protocols IS-136 (time division multiple access (TDMA)), GSM (global system for mobile communication), and IS-95 (code division multiple access (CDMA)), or with third-generation (3G) wireless communication protocols, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), CDMA2000, wideband CDMA (WCDMA) and time division-synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), with 3.9G wireless communication protocol such as evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), with fourth-generation (4G) wireless communication protocols (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) or LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) or the like. As an alternative (or additionally), the mobile terminal 10 may be capable of operating in accordance with non-cellular communication mechanisms. For example, the mobile terminal 10 may be capable of communication in a wireless local area network (WLAN) or other communication networks.

In some embodiments, the processor 20 may include circuitry desirable for implementing audio and logic functions of the mobile terminal 10. For example, the processor 20 may be comprised of a digital signal processor device, a microprocessor device, and various analog to digital converters, digital to analog converters, and other support circuits. Control and signal processing functions of the mobile terminal 10 are allocated between these devices according to their respective capabilities. The processor 20 thus may also include the functionality to convolutionally encode and interleave message and data prior to modulation and transmission. The processor 20 may additionally include an internal voice coder, and may include an internal data modem. Further, the processor 20 may include functionality to operate one or more software programs, which may be stored in memory. For example, the processor 20 may be capable of operating a connectivity program, such as a conventional Web browser. The connectivity program may then allow the mobile terminal 10 to transmit and receive Web content, such as location-based content and/or other web page content, according to a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and/or the like, for example.

The mobile terminal 10 may also comprise a user interface including an output device such as a conventional earphone or speaker 24, a ringer 22, a microphone 26, a display 28, and a user input interface, all of which are coupled to the processor 20. The user input interface, which allows the mobile terminal 10 to receive data, may include any of a number of devices allowing the mobile terminal 10 to receive data, such as a keypad 30, a touch display (display 28 providing an example of such a touch display) or other input device. In embodiments including the keypad 30, the keypad 30 may include the conventional numeric (0-9) and related keys (#, *), and other hard and soft keys used for operating the mobile terminal 10. Alternatively or additionally, the keypad 30 may include a conventional QWERTY keypad arrangement. The keypad 30 may also include various soft keys with associated functions. In addition, or alternatively, the mobile terminal 10 may include an interface device such as a joystick or other user input interface. Some embodiments employing a touch display may omit the keypad 30 and any or all of the speaker 24, ringer 22, and microphone 26 entirely. Additional input to the processor 20 may include a sensor 31.The sensor 31 may include one or more of a motion sensor, temperature sensor, light sensor, accelerometer, or the like. Forms of input that may be received by the sensor may include physical motion of the mobile terminal 10, whether or not the mobile terminal 10 is in a dark environment (e.g., a pocket) or in daylight, whether the mobile terminal is being held by a user or not (e.g., through temperature sensing of a hand). The mobile terminal 10 further includes a battery 34, such as a vibrating battery pack, for powering various circuits that are required to operate the mobile terminal 10, as well as optionally providing mechanical vibration as a detectable output.

The mobile terminal 10 may further include a user identity module (UIM) 38. The UIM 38 is typically a memory device having a processor built in. The UIM 38 may include, for example, a subscriber identity module (SIM), a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), a removable user identity module (R-UIM), etc. The UIM 38 typically stores information elements related to a mobile subscriber. In addition to the UIM 38, the mobile terminal 10 may be equipped with memory. For example, the mobile terminal 10 may include volatile memory 40, such as volatile Random Access Memory (RAM) including a cache area for the temporary storage of data. The mobile terminal 10 may also include other non-volatile memory 42, which may be embedded and/or may be removable. The memories may store any of a number of pieces of information, and data, used by the mobile terminal 10 to implement the functions of the mobile terminal 10.

An example embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 2, in which certain elements of an apparatus 50 for providing a mechanism by which relevant content may be determined and/or presented are illustrated. The apparatus 50 of FIG. 2 may be embodied by a device such as mobile terminal 10 of FIG. 1. However, it should be noted that other embodiments of the present invention may be embodied on any number of devices. In other words, the apparatus 50 may comprise one or more physical packages (e.g., chips) including materials, components and/or wires on a structural assembly (e.g., a baseboard). The structural assembly may provide physical strength, conservation of size, and/or limitation of electrical interaction for component circuitry included thereon. The apparatus 50 may therefore, in some cases, be configured to implement an embodiment of the present invention on a single chip or as a single "system on a chip." As such, in some cases, a chip or chipset may constitute means for performing one or more operations for providing the functionalities described herein.

The apparatus 50 of FIG. 2 includes a processor 70 that may be embodied in a number of different ways. For example, the processor 70 may be embodied as one or more of various hardware processing means such as a coprocessor, a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a processing element with or without an accompanying DSP, or various other processing circuitry including integrated circuits such as, for example, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a hardware accelerator, a special-purpose computer chip, or the like. As such, in some embodiments, the processor 70 may include one or more processing cores configured to perform independently. A multi-core processor may enable multiprocessing within a single physical package. Additionally or alternatively, the processor 70 may include one or more processors configured in tandem via the bus to enable independent execution of instructions, pipelining and/or multithreading.

In an example embodiment, the processor 70 may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory device 76 or otherwise accessible to the processor 70. Alternatively or additionally, the processor 70 may be configured to execute hard coded functionality. As such, whether configured by hardware or software methods, or by a combination thereof, the processor 70 may represent an entity (e.g., physically embodied in circuitry) capable of performing operations according to an embodiment of the present invention while configured accordingly. Thus, for example, when the processor 70 is embodied as an ASIC, FPGA or the like, the processor 70 may be specifically configured hardware for conducting the operations described herein. Alternatively, as another example, when the processor 70 is embodied as an executor of software instructions, the instructions may specifically configure the processor 70 to perform the algorithms and/or operations described herein when the instructions are executed. However, in some cases, the processor 70 may be a processor of a specific device (e.g., a mobile terminal or network device) adapted for employing an embodiment of the present invention by further configuration of the processor 70 by instructions for performing the algorithms and/or operations described herein. The processor 70 may include, among other things, a clock, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and logic gates configured to support operation of the processor 70.

The description continues in the full USPTO document.